There is still no cure for the cold virus. If you have a cold, a trip to the doctor will not help. There is nothing your doctor can do for a cold. Antibiotics are not effective against a cold so your doctor will not prescribe one for you. And visiting your doctor’s office when your immune system is already battling a virus will leave your body vulnerable to the viruses and infections left behind by other patients.
There are thousands of strains of viruses that circulate each year. So how do you know when it is time to go to the doctors? If your symptoms are severe or have lasted for longer than four to seven days you should call your doctor. Describe your symptoms as specifically as you are able. Your doctor will let you know whether it is necessary for you to be seen. Symptoms that warrant a call to your doctor include:
· Oral temperature over 101.3
· Swollen glands
· Trouble breathing/shortness of breath
· Severe sore throat
· Wheezing
· Congestion or runny nose lasting more than a week
Every fitness plan should include cardiovascular exercise, resistance or weight training, and some form of concentrated stretching and/or meditative exercise. The three most commonly practiced types of meditative exercise are yoga, pilates, and tai chi. Each focus on specific elements of health based on the main premise the founders developed the plan around. The common components embraced by all three meditative fitness programs are relaxation, breathing, peace, calm, and slow focused movements.
Tai Chi is a form of martial arts that is believed to have been developed for purposes of self defense and meditation. The movements in Tai Chi are said to be slow and meditative, intended to promote peace and calm within the individual while promoting strength with limited mass. Tai chi practitioners believe the body is comprised of five main elements that flow through the body. Tai chi is supposed to help the individual balance the five elements and integrate them into a smooth balanced energy that flows interactively.
Tai chi is credited with many health benefits. Many believe it increases the longevity of life and delays the aging process. Tai chi is said to increase flexibility while strengthening the muscles and tendons throughout the body. Tai chi improves balance. Tai chi is also thought to improve blood circulation.
Tai chi has also been credited with reducing symptoms and incidence of heart disease, high blood pressure, arthritis, digestive disorders, skin diseases, depression, and cancer. This is probably due to the stress relieving properties of Tai chi. Stress is a major cause of many of the symptoms leading to these chronic conditions. Persons with the painful musculoskeletal disorder fibromyalgia have shown significant improvement in the symptoms after only six weeks of biweekly one hour classes.
A recent court decision has lent credence to the claim that autism has developed in children after receiving vaccinations. An autism specialist informed the court that one child’s autism was the direct result of one such vaccine. The child was developing normally subsequent to receiving the vaccination. The correlation between the development of autism in children that were previously developing normally and the vaccinations may be linked to a preservative known as thimerosal.
In the last ten years, parents have detailed the regression of a child from normal development to a heartbreaking diagnosis of autism. But their claims have fallen on deaf ears, so to speak. Their assertions were discounted as those of a desperate parent seeking someone to blame for the heart wrenching diagnosis of their child. With the recent court decision, the claims can no longer be ignored.
Thimerosal is a mercury based preservative found in many common vaccinations. The vaccine is believed to be the catalyst for prompting the development of what is now being called the leading developmental disorder in children today. Thousands of cases are pending in court regarding children that degenerated into acute autism soon after receiving vaccines containing thimerosal.
Currently, thimerosal has been removed from most scheduled vaccines for children. However it is still present in flu shots. These shots are given to pregnant women and to children under 18 years of age regularly. In fact, most doctors recommend it. So if you are pregnant or have children you plan to vaccinate against the flu, insist the vaccination provided is preservative free. This decision might prevent your child from developing the condition that now affects 1 in 150 children, autism.
Trying to lose weight is tough. The weight loss process is fraught with potential hurdles and road blocks that hinder or derail your weight loss efforts at every turn. Alcohol is one more roadblock you can do without. This is not to say that alcohol should never pass through your lips. But you want to give careful consideration to where alcohol fits in to your weight loss plan.
Alcohol is a significant source of empty calories. One beer has as many as 150 calories. Mixed drinks can contain hundreds of calories in a single drink. If you consume multiple drinks in one day, the number of calories consumed from alcohol alone could add a large number to your day’s intake. You would need to reduce the number of calories you consume from other foods and drinks to compensate. If you drink alcohol more than one day a week, the consumption could add thousands of calories each week. This would sabotage any hope of weight loss during the week.
Alcohol can also affect your metabolism. Your liver will metabolize the alcohol before it begins the job of metabolizing your fat. This will slow down your body’s normal metabolic rate. Your body may begin to metabolize fat at a slower rate on a daily basis. The more often you drink alcohol, the slower your liver will metabolize the fat in your body. And if you consume multiple drinks in a sitting, your liver will be preoccupied that much longer with metabolizing the alcohol.
Anyone seriously pursuing weight loss goals should limit the alcohol consumption. Limit the number of days in a month and the number of drinks you consume at a time. Try to plan your calorie intake in advance when you know you will be drinking alcohol. Reduce the number of calories you take in during the day based on the number of drinks you plan to consume. Remember, alcohol is replacing other nutrient dense food and drinks that your body requires. When you are drinking alcohol socially, you can help limit the number of alcoholic drinks you ingest by switching to water between drinks. This will limit the calories while prolonging your socializing!
You cannot get rid of cellulite. You can hide it. You can try to minimize the appearance of it. But you will not be able to eliminate the cellulite plaguing your thighs, hips, butt, and everywhere else you don’t want it. So what are you supposed to do, just accept it? Wear one of those bathing suits with a little skirt that your grandmother loves so much? Or maybe just comfort yourself by looking at the pictures on the cover of the gossip magazines highlighting the cellulite on skinny stars?
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